The Keyblade War
by Banana Aeon
Summary: The destruction of man is the only way that man can achieve perfection.
1. Light and Dark

Disclaimer: I do not make any profit off of this. I also do not own Kingdom Hearts. Please due not sue me.

* * *

A boy of nineteen awakens, in a castle nearby the heralded Bastion of the Radiant Garden. He looks into a mirror, flicks a blond spike out from in front of his face, then walks out of the room.

He is a happy, yet focused young man. He found the ability to summon his keyblade about four years ago. The keyblade, dubbed Morning Sun, came to him, and has never left him since then. Unfortunately, the boy did not understand why this was given to him.

Yet, he was still happy with the path his life had taken. And now, he was taking the path to see Caelum Non Cor, the leader of the Bellatores intra Luceat, the military force he was in.

The boy, named Debitos, walked, with destiny looming over him.

* * *

A boy of twenty awakens, in a castle on the shore of the beach. He gets up, shakes his black hair out, and walks out of the room.

He is a stern leader. A powerful man, yet shaken due to his past. But that didn't matter anymore. He was a changed man. His past was behind him.

He peeked In his older sister's room. She was twenty-two, and she was the only thing that mattered to him. He smiled, looking at her sleeping face, then drifted out of the room.

He gained the ability to summon his keyblade about four years ago. The name, Broken Moon, was his weapon of choice. He was definitely surprised to see such a magnificent weapon in his hands. But now, that surprise was replaced with self doubt, and self worth. He had to know if he deserve the blade.

However, today, the boy had to see the Abitanti di Nerezza, the group he and another keyblade holder, Guerriero, led. His road had to wait.

The boy, named Vaga, walked, with destiny looming over him.

* * *

Chapter 1 – Light and Dark

_Secret Coreham Report 1_

_ I believe Caelum is scheming. He was always for too ambitious._

_ I have never been able to understand what that boy was thinking. An enigma, wrapped in a mystery, I always called his. But this is one mystery, I'm afraid, will be revealed sometime soon. _

_ The boy calls himself the Sancti Princeps, but he barely acts the part. He is too far deep in his plans to effectively rule. He runs on some imaginary platform, which somehow tells him the true path the Radiant Garden is supposed to take. _

_ He says that the road to perfection runs through his research and findings. Posh! Zounds, another word of this, I will not hear! The boy is far too arrogant for his own good, far too mystified in the science of hearts and lights, that he think he can work a miracle._

_ Perfection, as it should, shalt never belong to one man._

* * *

"Debitos? Debitos? Where are you?" a woman, with shoulder length blonde hair, and a white and pink mini-dress on. Debitos yawned and walked through a door.

Debitos had barely touched his insanely spiky, blonde hair, with split in random directions, looking more like a danger to anyone who touched it. He wore a white jacket over a long black t-shirt, leading to his white and black fingerless gloves. He wore black shorts, an extension connected by a white zipper. His shoes were white, with black stripes and soles.

"Avis? I'm right here," Debitos said. Avis narrowed her deep, purple eyes.

"The Sancti Princeps has been waiting for you for hours! Where were you?" she questioned. Debitos chuckled.

"I was on my way," he said, "And you can call him Caelum here. No need to be so formal."

"No need? Are you speaking treachery?" she said, with a smile. Debitos smiled. He liked these conversations. He had missed many of them, since he had joined the military.

"But you actually might want to go now. Caelum was...anxious about something. It may be something big..." Avis said. Debitos nodded, and started walking toward the Bastion.

* * *

"This world is far too dirty...too corrupted..." Caelum said, staring out of his window. Caelum had short gray hair, and a rather thick chinstrap. He had dull green eyes, that had seen much of this universe. He wore a long, white robe, with a black and shirt shirt underneath, and black pants, tucked into black boots.

"I am here, my lord," Debitos announced, kneeling. Caelum smiled.

"Son...I hear the darkness destroys the best man's hearts. This untamed beast...It only possesses the ability to destroy. Nothing more.

"That's why I called you here today. I wish to start a war." Debitos frowned. Of all the things he thought he would have heard, a war was very...unlikely.

"Is a war against the darkness the best course of action, sir?" he asked.

"Of course it is. The only way to rid ourselves of the darkness is to eradicate all sources of it." Debitos gulped.

"The world is better off without the darkness. I know it. And I shall prove it." Caelum suddenly jumped out his seat, possessed by the wild emotions coursing through him.

"I'll make the call. We are heading into a war."

* * *

"Guerriero, where's the Princess?" Vaga asked. He wore a long black coat, with black gloves. On his back, he had an diamond shaped emblem of white and red, and the and end of his coat was highlighted by white flames. His black hair was barely neck length, and it was wild and scruffy, and swept back. His eyes, a bright yellow.

"I do not know," Guerriero answered. His wore a similar black coat, only his emblem was a blue star, "The King should know where she is though." Vaga laughed loudly.

"As if I would ask that man a question!" Guerriero laughed along side of him.

"What are you doing?" a slender girl, with long black hair, split into different tails, said, walking up to them. The two stopped laughing.

"Nothing that concerns you, Mascherina," Guerriero said, flatly. Mascherina laughed.

"You're funny, blondie," Mascherina spat back. Vaga turned to walk past her.

"Where ya going?" she asked, with a smirk.

"Anywhere other than here..."

* * *

A girl, with shoulder length black hair, and a deep purple royal dress sat in a castle, alone. She looked over her kingdom, faint smile. She was lonely. She had been her entire life. She looked up at her moon, made of hearts, the majesty of the one called Kingdom Hearts.

"Oh great one, please grant me a wish," she said, clasping her hands together.

"Oh, what can I grant you, oh wondrous Princess," a husky voice from behind her said. She gasped and turned around.

"Vaga? W-What are you doing here!" she stammered, blushing wildly. Vaga laughed.

"Scura, you should really loosen up," he said. Scura at first smiled, then puffed her cheeks out in irritation.

"You know you have to call me Princess, or father will be mad at you."

"He's not here," Vaga said. Scura frowned.

"You still can't just...go around...and..." she said, looking down at her feet.

"Everything okay?" Vaga asked, holding deep concern. Scura shook her head.

"Father was talking to me earlier...About a war."

"A war!" Vaga shouted, "That's nonsense!" Scura shook her head. Vaga narrowed his eyes, and then turned to face the window.

* * *

"Yo, Debitos!" a man, with shoulder length brown hair, separated with part through the middle, called. Debitos turn, scowl on his face.

"Oh geez, did I catch you at a bad time?" the man said, scratching the back of his head.. Debitos glared at him, before dissolving into laughter.

"I can never be serious around you, Rustice," Debitos said, grinning along side of his long time friend. Rustice was the same age as Debitos, but he had earned his right to use the keyblade a year before his awakening. Despite this, Rustice remained goofy, and carefree.

"So, Debitos, what's up?" Debitos perked up, remembering what he needed to tell him.

* * *

"A war..." Rustice said, sitting on a bench. Debitos nodded, then sat back, slouching.

"That...sucks," he said, offering his opinion. Debitos groaned loudly.

"God damn it Rustice. Why did I even bother to tell you?"

"What? It does suck!"

* * *

A man, wearing a royal robe and cape walked into a room, a masked boy, in a purple and black skintight suit trailing behind. The man had long, slicked back black hair, and a thick goatee.

"Rabbia, make you move tomorrow," the man said.

"Yes, your majesty," the boy, named Rabbia, said, before disappearing through a Corridor of Darkness.

"All worlds begin, and end in darkness. The road of all paths lead to darkness. Darkness is the element that hearts are born from, and it is the element all hearts will end in. And I will unlock the worlds darkness, and add them to mine." The man looked up to Kingdom Hearts, and grinned.

"And it all begins with this," he said, holding a small, red jem.

"A Lachryma, and the two realms are perfect," he said, with a laugh.

* * *

_Secret Coreham Report 2_

_ I have had a change of heart._

_ The findings my noble son have found are brilliant. The boy will make a fine S__acerdote Antico__ one day. His research are assured to bring our realm perfection._

_ I beg my only noble son to forgive me for my former anger._

* * *

Debitos stood, looking over the city of the Radiant Garden. He frowned. If a war was in the future, what could happen to these people? Where they in trouble?

"Do you fear for these people?" a voice asked, from behind him asked. Debitos spun around, and caught sight of a boy in a black and purple suit, and a mask.

"Who are you?" Debitos asked. The boy said nothing. Debitos narrowed his eyes, and drew his keyblade, a long yellow blade, with key appearing to be the sun, with spikes protuding from them. The boy laughed.

"Six hours..." the boy said, "Six hours, until the event that changes our lives forever begins..." The boy then disappears through a black portal, leaving Debitos on what he meant.

* * *

"Viola," Vaga said, calling out for his sister, "King Nero speaks of war." Viola gasped.

"But why? Whom will we be warring against?" she asked. Vaga looked down.

"Those of the light...But for what purpose?" Vaga asked, "There is no need to engage with those of the Realm of Light." Viola sat down, and looked down at here feet.

"War is often used as a political movement. Maybe the king has ulterior motives."

* * *

"Six hours," Debitos said, lying in his bed. He had reported the incident the incident to Caelum, and put the entire quarters on high alert. But that did nothing to ease his worries.

"Six hours. What could that mean?"

* * *

_A Lachryma. A holder of souls. A more...useful Kingdom Hearts. We can use it to achieve perfection._

_ I had once said that perfection was a dream that no human shall hold. I was a fool. Perfection is the dream of man, and a dream that man is close to achieving._

* * *

Author's Note: Expect this to last seven or eight chapters. And this is rather important to my other Kingdom Hearts fic, the Recreate series. Read and review.


	2. Under Pressure

Chapter 2 – Under Pressure

A boy, no older than fifteen, is running for his life.

"Come out. Your squaddies wouldn't wanna see you running in fear," a voice, arrogant, yet empty, shouted, causing the boy to breakdown in tears.

That voice. That voice just murdered all of his friends. That voice just...destroyed everything that he had worked for. Everything. Lost within minutes.

A hand grasped the boy's shoulder, and he squealed, dropping his chainless keyblade, modeled after the famed Kingdom Key. The masked boy in black and purple laughed.

"Reduced to a sniveling mess, holding a child's toy. Absolutely pathetic," the masked boy said, standing the crying boy, breaking his shoulder in the process.

"W-W-W-Why?..." the boy sobbed. The masked boy pondered, then summoned his keyblade, a white, long, sturdy looking blade, resembling a sword, with a waxing crescent moon as it's teeth. The chain was a broken upside-down fluer de lis.

"I dunno. Just following orders."

* * *

Thirty-seven.

That's the number of lifes that fell during that night. Debitos stood at the castle gates, forehead firmly pressed up against the walls. Avis walked up behind him, and gently put her hand on his shoulder.

"There's no need to blame yourself," she said. Debitos rose his head slightly.

"I knew about the attack," he growled. Avis slightly backed away.

"Pardon?"

"I KNEW ABOUT THE ATTACK!" Debitos roared, punching the wall. As his knuckles bled, the two stood quietly.

"I told Caelum everything that I knew. But I told have done more," he said, looking down. The Debitos looked up at the sky.

"I'll try for an investigation. Do everything in your power to convince Caelum that this attack did not come from the dark." Avis rose an eyebrow.

"What are you planning?" she asked.

"I doing everything in my power to prevent a war," Debitos sighed, "Please. Just follow though with that." Avis shifted slightly, then nodded.

"I'll do my best."

* * *

Vaga looked over the information. Thirty-seven victims? How could this have happened?

"We have to do something about this," Vaga said, brushing his hair out of his face. Mascherina crept behind him.

"Sup," she said, "Working?" Vaga narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want, Mascherina?" he asked. She snickered.

"Oh. Looking at stuff like this. Didn't see you as much of the detective," she said, grinning.

"This is serious. We don't want the light to believe we're behind this," Vaga said, rubbing his temples. Mascherina chuckled.

"So what. Let em' believe whatever they want."

"Not when both sides are pushing for a war."

"What's wrong with a little war?" Vaga clenched his eyes shut.

"Go away," he said, waving her off. Mascherina giggled.

"Playing politics is so not your style. Leave that to King Nero, and you just play along," she said, running two fingers across his chin, before walking off. Vaga shook his head and returned to work.

* * *

"Your majesty! Your majesty!" a frantic duck cried, running through the halls, dog walking slowly behind him. A mouse, sitting in a chair, writing a letter poked his head up.

"Everything the matter, Ronald?" the mouse said. The duck, along with his lanky dog friend shook their head.

"Both the light and dark sides of the faction call for a war!" Ronald said. The mouse gasped.

"What shall we do, King Mortimer?" the dog asked, worried. Mortimer frowned, the looked into his wall.

"We'll just have to stay outta this one, fellas..." he said, shaking his head.

"What?" Ronald and the dog said at the same time. Mortimer closed his eyes, and crossed his arms.

"Affairs of the darkness and light are not our responsibilities. We can not change fate. Master Tawl told me that." He arose from his feet, and looked at his guard.

"The light and dark were meant to clash, and here it is."

* * *

A bald, dark-skinned man, with tribal tattoos, wearing a black and white robe, sat, meditating. He had feared this was going to happen. He opened his gray eyes, then opened a nearby book.

"I need this foolishness to end," he said, focusing his soul on two individuals, two confused minds.

"They will down," he said, summoning his keyblade, dubbed Keeper of Secrets, and cast a spell of sleep on the two he was looking for. He didn't need them know.

The moment they fell sleep, he would have them.

* * *

Vaga walked through the Corridor of Darkness, to find himself near a large castle.

"I can't feel Scura. I wonder where she is?" he said.

"Maybe she's avoiding you," a voice said behind him. Vaga turned around, and met a boy, in a skintight purple and black suit, and a black mask.

"Who are you?" Vaga asked, summoning his keyblade, dubbed Broken Moon. The blade was black, and it resembled a sword. The teeth of the blade looked like a waning crescent moon. The keychain looked like a cracked upside-down cross. The masked boy laughed.

"I'll tell you who I am," he said, summoning his own keyblade, named Empty Luna, "If you are able to beat me." He held the blade high, with his left arm extended forward. Vaga held his own across his lower back, parallel to the ground.

The masked boy attacked first, blasting toward Vaga, and slashing at him wildly, who sidestepped each swipe. Vaga retaliated with a horizontal slash, breaking the masked boy's root, flooring him. Vaga then spun, keyblade pointing for the heavens, and cast lighting on the boy, frying him. The boy laughed.

"How quaint!" the masked boy shouted, laughing madly. Vaga jumped back.

"What? Afraid, are thee?" the masked boy taunted. Vaga glared at him. The masked boy laughed once more, then rushed in on Vaga, trying him furiously. However, Vaga superior footwork and training prevented each strike from connecting. With a snarl, the masked boy thrust out his left hand, and darkness blast Vaga back twenty feet.

"Darkness? You're a part of..." Vaga said, getting back to his feet. The masked boy shook his head.

"No. Not of darkness. I work for no one. I work for nothing," he said, holding his arms out, in a cross-like shape. Empty Luna's chain jingled.

This time, it was Vaga chance to strike, gliding toward the masked boy. In reaction, the boy backed away, preparing for the attack. The underhanded slashes were blocked, and the masked boy pushed Vaga off, and fired a Dark Firaga at him. Vaga slashed through it, then knocked the boy away. The boy rolled to his feet, and laughed.

"What a pest!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. Vaga wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

"Maybe you need to start taking this seriously," the masked boy said. Vaga smirked.

"Take this seriously, huh," Vaga said. He then spun his keyblade, and aimed it at the boy.

"Triple Firaga!" Vaga chanted, and three large fireballs sprouted, and rushed at the boy. He blocked the first two blasts, but it knocked him back, allowing the third blast to explode as it impacted his chest. The boy was launched into the air.

Vaga took little time in preparing his next attack. He turned his keyblade into a greatbow, and an arrow of darkness, more resembling a harpoon, was created. The arrow was firing, and it plunged itself right in the middle of the masked boy's chest, who was just recovering.

"Spear enclose!" Vaga shouted, clasping his hands together, and the spear wrapped itself around the masked boy's body, preventing movement. A symbol, resembling Vaga's emblem appeared on the ground under the boy's feet.

"Collera dei Cieli!" Vaga screamed, turning his keyblade into a massive Tesla coil that was surging with energy, and stabbed it into the ground. A massive, purple blast swallowed the masked boy.

When the dust cleared, the masked boy was on the ground, with a cracked mask, where darkness was leaking out of it. He laughed manically.

"Maybe I should have taken my own advice!" he shouted, cracking up. Vaga rose an eyebrow.

"Well, I guess I should honor our wager," he suddenly said, "My name is Rabbia." Then he started to laugh once more.

"You know that massacre at the Radiant Garden," he said, "That was me." Vaga gasped.

"You! You killed all those people!" he shouted. Rabbia merely laughed.

"Don't blame me. Just following orders." A Corridor of Darkness appeared, and Rabbia disappeared through it. Vaga stood, wondering where those orders came from.

* * *

"Caelum," a man with long grey hair, most of it flowing over his back, with some rest over his shoulder, "This plan for immortality. It is going as planned, right?"

"Urente," Caelum said, "Of course. No one suspects a thing."

"It better be," another man, with time with spiky blonde hair, bangs swiping over the right side of his face, "We have provided you the necessary funds. If fail us..."

"Miles, no need to be so callous. Everything is going accordingly to our schedule."

* * *

_Secret Nero Report 1_

_ The hearts shalt emerge from one, dubbed Kingdom Hearts. With that, the heart is given a body, and with the body, a soul is also riven. _

_ The lost of a heart does not signal death. Neither does the lack of a body. I have clear evidence of that... _

_ But what is death? We hold hearts in high standard, but you do not need them. Bodies are mere shells, nothing more. Then what is life?_

_ That answer was given to me by my studies. In those without a heart, and those without a body, existed a common force. A soul. A single soul, tying them to the confines of life, along with those of __death. A soul holds more power than I could have ever imagine._

_ This requires further studies. My hypothesis is thus, however._

_ A montage of hearts give birth to other hearts; A montage of bodies, the same._

_ But a montage of souls... They birth something stronger than a heart._

_ They birth life._

* * *

A castle.

Debitos awoke in an unfamilar castle. He shook his head, and came face to face with an unfamilar face.

"Who are you?" he groaned. The boy coughed.

"My name... My name is Vaga," he said.

"Debitos," he said, "What are we doing here?"

"To hear your purpose," a large, dark-skinned man said. The two recognized the man, and immediately bowed.

"Mast- Father Rodin!" Vaga shouted, face in the ground.

"We apologized for disturbing you!" Debitos said. Rodin did not react.

"No need for formalities. I come to you, as you sleep, to discuss future events."

* * *

Inside the Castle of Departure, a room, half of it colored black, the other half white, the two sat, awaiting orders from the master.

"My name is Rodin. I am the keeper of this castle. I am a master of the the physical, mystical, political, ethereal, and logical side of the keyblade. Yet, I was never able to master the element I desired.

"I desired to be completely balanced. Half of light; Half of darkness.

"Yet I could never do it. Balance was impossible for me to reach. I hadn't experienced enough darkness, nor light in my life. I crafted this castle to allow me to understand it. Yet, an impossible dream.

"Yet the worlds do it naturally. The worlds exist in a perfect balance. They achieved the impossible. Perfect equality.

"However, there are those who want to attack the balance. Craft a new universe, with new rules. No balance. One element.

"If there is light, there must be darkness. The opposite is the same. One can not exist without the other. Those who plan on disturbing the balance have no idea on how this world operates.

"They plan on destroying this fragile balance, and replace it with perfection. In theory, this sounds like a good trade, but in concept, the plan is heavily flawed. They lack the proper foresight. The lack the proper materials.

"I lack the knowledge, nor confidence to do this myself. The ones behind this plan I do not know. But you, one of darkness named Vaga, and one of light named Debitos, can. You must find out what, and why this is going to happen? The worlds are begging you to save them. You must prevent the Keyblade War."

"Yes sir," Debitos and Vaga said, bowing. Rodin looked up.

"The worlds need to preserve their balance. Without the balance, the worlds will die. You must not allow this to happen," Rodin said, "The world's hearts are in your hands. You must prove that you are able."

* * *

_Secret Mortimer Report 1_

_ A fool I was. Father Rodin warned me to stay out, but I simply couldn't. I felt like I had to be involved. I feel like with this that I have just found, the world exists to be pawns._

_ Why were worlds invented in the first place? Master Tawl never told me. He felt like that was knowledge behind his means. Maybe Father Rodin would know. _

_ Each world was created, and each world was given a heart. But how? But why? _

_ Did Kingdom Hearts exist, when there were no hearts to give?_

* * *

Debitos wandered around his room, thinking.

"Balance. The worlds exist. Hearts. What do they have in common?" he whispered.

"Talking to yourself is a sign of delirium," Rustice said, walking through his door. Debitos chuckled slightly.

"Hello Rustice. Just...working..." he said.

"Right... Avis is worried sick about ya," Rustice said, "It ain't good to leave your girl hanging."

"Rustice...Do you know why the worlds were created?" Rustice backed away.

"Huh? What kind of question is that?"

"The worlds, created from what? Where did the worlds get their hearts from? Nothingness? Darkness? Where did the come from?"

"That's a little beyond our horizons, man," Rustice said, "The worlds just happened. What's the point of knowing this anyway?"

"What is balance? Can a true balance be achieved?"

* * *

_Secret Rodin Report 1_

_ The world's existence can be likened to a top._

_ A top is always spinning on it's axis. If it is disturbed, the top will turn off of it's tilt, slow down, or cease motion._

_ Time is an unmovable force, which, if disturbed, could wreck havoc on the rest of existence. The Door of Darkness is proof. _

_ An existence of pure darkness. A existence that must remain closed._

_ Time has been completely destroyed in that realm. What had happened there, no one knows._

_ The world was cleansed of all light, and thus, began it's own destruction. _

_ Could that be the final fate of all the worlds, if this inane plan comes to motion._

_ On all the power that I hold, I refuse to allow this to happen._

* * *

Author's note: Deep enough for ya. Read and review.


	3. The Kiln of Existence

Chapter 3 – The Kiln of Existence

"What do you want?" Urente asked, coldly, to the spiky haired brunette, Rustice, who had entered his office.

"Well, Caelum might want to know that there was a raid on a camp last night. Lots of people died in it," he said, flatly, "See, without our leader knowing this valuable news, we might lose or something." Urente laughed.

"So soon," he said, without a hint of concern on his voice, "Such a disrespectful act, by the dark." Rustice rose an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I'll be going to see Caelum, okay," he said, before a barrier overtook him, and pushed him out of the room. Urente stood up, and adjusted his collar.

"Caelum isn't taking guests, today." Urente said. Rustice glared at him.

"This doesn't concern you," Rustice growled, "I am trying to tell our military's leader some news he may find extremely important." Urente grunted, then pushed Rustice out of the room, using magic.

"As I said," Urente said, calmly, "Caelum is not taking guests today..."

* * *

"You're right, Debitos! You're right!" Rustice said, walking back and forth, across Debitos's room, "They're hiding something! But what could it be?"

"Father Rodin said something about them want to disrupt the balance of the universe," Debitos said, flatly.

"Just Urente? Or the entire trio?" Rustice said.

"Probably all three. You said that Urente didn't care about the war, or the losses," Debitos said, "Maybe the war was apart of the plan all along." Rustice gasped.

"What's the benefit to a war between the light, and the dark?" Rustice asked. Debitos looked out of his window.

"That's something we're going to have to find out."

* * *

"The light is such a delicate toy," Caelum said, squeezing a ball of yarn. He was mad. Everything was moving too quickly. The war was escalating too fast...

"Caelum," Urente said, bursting through the large doors, "How are things progressing?"

"On schedule," Caelum answered back, "But you could have called and asked that. What's this surprise meeting about?"

"This war is driving me and Miles crazy! What is its purpose? Does it benefit us?"

"This war is everything. Without it, there is no future."

"It better. Miles and I had cast away our reputations for this. You better follow suit..."

"Trust me. Everything will work out in the end..."

* * *

"Vaga, you're home late," Viola said, "What happened?"

"I can't find Scura...I wonder what happened..." Vaga said, plopping on the couch. Viola's pet Heartless, a Shadow named Lux, sat beside him.

"Maybe the king knows..." Viola pondered, before heading into the kitchen. Vaga slumped.

"The king isn't really a trustworthy figure right now..."

* * *

Scura awoke, in a large, unusual library, adorned with many Gothic statues and design tropes. She rose to her feet, and looked around.

"Somebody...Help..." she cried weakly. She wondered why she was so weak. She wondered why she let this happen to her.

But there was no time to feel sad. She needed to walk, to find someone.

* * *

Mascherina looked at the castle of the Radiant Garden. While she couldn't deny that it wasn't beautiful, she was not the one for pretty things in the first place, and found herself feeling the overwhelming desire to crush it.

"You..." said a new voice. She turned around, and saw the man talking to her. She smirked.

"How long you been watching me, sir," she said. The man glared.

"State your name," he said. Macherina chuckled, and summoned her keyblade. Then man did not react.

"How bout I state this!" she shouted, dashing at the spiky haired blond, who ducked under the slash, and propelled her into the air, with a simple step. Then he calmly summoned his keyblade.

"I am Debitos. You have no right to been here," he said, with no emotion. Mascherina smirked.

"Who said I was doing anything wrong?" she asked. Debitos scoffed at her claim.

"This is a period of war. The castle is strictly off limits," he explained, "Plus, one good look at you, and anyone can tell that you're one of the dark." Now it was Mascherina's turn to scoff.

"So you were peeping. I would have never pegged you as a pervert," she replied. Debitos narrowed his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, "Especially by yourself?"

"Let's just say I'm checking up on some merchandise..."

* * *

_Secret Nero Report 2_

_ My daughter lurks the Library, wondering close to the Kiln of Existence. This might be troublesome, but I have no worries. With her there, I need not worry about my plan being ruined._

_ It's a shame that Futurus can't see the very moment the Ancients fought for, being achieved by a mere mortal. I'm sure it would break her heart..._

_ Of course, there are potential hitches in my plan. The light's chosen could become a major thorn if he continues to converge with Vaga and Rodin. But he gave me his word. The light's chosen shall be silenced._

_ Regardless, I have sent out Mascherina to deal with him. I'll rather have my ascension to immortality to be as smooth as possible._

* * *

Debitos leaped out of the way of an overhead strike, and countered with a slice of wind, which Mascherina narrowly dodged. With a smile, Mascherina fired off three fireballs, that exploded around the light keyblade wielder, yet did not hit him. Debitos frowned, before firing a scattered ice shot, which the darkness user easily evaded.

"Gravity!" Mascherina shouted, created a black circle of heavily condense mass to emerge on the ground, dragging Debitos in. On reaction, the fireballs, that Mascherina fired off earlier, skirted through the ground, toward him rapidly.

"Shit!" Debitos growled, before stabbing his keyblade into the ground, and summoning a pillar of light to explode, destroying the mines. Next, he dashed toward Mascherina, smashed her in the side of his stomach, then kicked her in the face, sending her airborne. She crashed into the ground violently, before bouncing to her feet.

"How interesting...The King did tell me that you were pretty strong..." Mascherina said, with a smirk. Debitos glared at her, as a Corridor of Darkness opened.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. Mascherina scoffed.

"To the darkness. Where I would exist forever..." she said, before disappearing. Debitos barred his teeth.

"What is she talking about?"

* * *

"Avis, what is the status of our forces?" Caelum said, slouching in his throne. Avis tightened up, nervous.

"Uh, the defense forces have lost thirteen percent of there soldiers near the borders. The lines of communication between us, and the Abitanti di Nerezza have been completely shut off. They are done negotiating," she said, "They have declared a full out war on us..." Caelum frowned.

"Get Miles and Urente on the line. We have to discuss this..."

* * *

Vaga, Debitos, and Rustice sat at a triangular table, each having multiple sheets of paper in front of them, each holding significant information on them.

"King Nero has betrayed his responsibilities and people, and I believe that he is working with someone on the light..." Vaga said, handing out a piece of paper. Rustice looked at it, and shook his head.

"These numbers..." Rustice said, narrowing his eyes, "This looks like the work of Miles and Urente..."

"Miles and Urente?" Vaga said, "Who are they?"

"Miles and Urente are High Priests, along side Coreham. They basically run the government underneath the King, who merely appeases the people." Debitos explained.

"So they must be important to you guys..." Vaga said.

"Actually, they hold no power over the military. That's Caelum's responibility," Rustice said.

"But this still doesn't make any sense," Debitos said, "Why would the High Priests betray the light?"

"Maybe they aren't..." Rodin said, entering the room. The trio quickly turned toward the large man.

"Before time was recorded, there was period where one could live forever...To achieve immortality, one had to completely be one with light or darkness. These who achieved this balance were called Ancients..."

* * *

Scura walked into an empty white room, deep inside the Library, where a throne sat. She walked, apprehensively towards it, and saw that the see was empty. In front of the throne, rested a flame, that produce no heat.

"Curious, are we?" said a soft feminine voice. Scura quickly turned, to see a beautiful woman sitting in the once empty throne. She was dressed in a white dress, which appeared as it had grown around her, as it flaunted all of her curves. It definitely was not a modest dress, as it showed a large amount of her large breasts. Her bright green eyes pierced into Scura's violet ones.

"How unusual... A guest..." she said, smiling.  
"Oh! Don't mind me! I'm just about to leave!" Scura nervously stammered out. The woman smiled, even more brightly then she was before.

"Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you," the woman said, clasping her hands together, "It's been such a long time since I've talked to another person." Scura gazed at ground.

"Oh..." was the only thing she said. The woman laughed.

"How long have you been here?" she asked. Scura perked up, reflecting on her time spent inside the Library.

"Um...About...Two days?" she answered. The woman nodded.

"And have you noticed that you haven't felt the pains of hunger, fatigue, nor illness since you have been here, right?" Scura's eyes widened.

"I...didn't...Are you the cause of that?" she asked. The woman nodded.

"Yes, as I am Futurus, the Kiln of Existence. This is the Flame of Perseverance, and my only companion for thousands of years." The flame danced about, as Futurus played with her fingers.

"This flame is the sole entity that keeps the darkness from becoming one with the light, yet keeps them from becoming separate."

"Thus, keeping them in a flux," Scura said. Futurus nodded.

"This was created, for the Ancients to stop their endless warring. The Ancients were selfish, and I took the only option that I could. Separate the elements that made them immortal, and give power to man. Thus, I created Hearts, and from that..." Futurus held both arms out, and two keyblades appeared. One was a simple silver key with a gold guard, the other was an identical key, with a golden blade, and silver guard.

"I created the keyblades, in a attempt to keep the elements in balance. I soon came to regret this though, as the mortals were selfish, and wanted to use my gift to them as weapons, and tools to use the elements. They fought, and they killed many..." Scura looked down.

"Why so sad, dear? This is my mistake. I will fix this. I promise, my child..."

* * *

"I don't believe this..." Vaga said, staring into the window. Rustice rubbed his temples.

"We have to do something. We can't just allow them to get away with this..." he said. Debitos closed his eyes, in thought.

"Vaga, find Scura. Rustice, you and I are going to betray the Bellatores intra Lucaet, kill the High Priests, and make sure that Caelum is done," Debitos announced, "This false war has gone on long enough..."

"What!" Vaga shouted, "That's idiotic! They'll destroy you!"

"Vaga, find Scura. We'll deal with Nero afterward..."

"I agree with Vaga. We have to take this slow, man. We'll be killed before we can even make a difference," Rustice said. Debitos groaned.

"We have no choice. We know their plan. We know how this will affect everyone. We have to stop this now, before the situation gets worse..." he said, looking at the ground.

"But this is a rather explosive situation. Once we go through with this, there is no turning back..." Vaga said. Debitos narrowed his eyes.

"I understand that completely..."

* * *

Avis cried that night. Debitos had left a note, detailing his future actions, and despite them being for a noble cause, she still cried. She hated that she could not help him. She hated that she was completely useless.

She looked out of her window, and thought of something. Something big.

"I can be useful..." she said, before crawling inside her bed.

* * *

Crash!

And the end started started, as Debitos and Rustice bust in the castle housing the High Priests. Several followers of the light were shocked by the traitorous act.

"Where's Urente and Miles!" Debitos shouted. A assassin jumped down to the floor and dashed at the duo. However, Debitos spun out of the path of the attack, countered by breaking his shoulder, and retaliated by gashing the assailant's neck open.

"I repeat, where are Urente and Miles!"

* * *

"What delusion..." Caelum said, upon hearing about the traitorous acts of two prized members of the military force. He summoned a Corridor of Light, and left the castle. He'll just let Miles and Urente deal with this incident.

* * *

Vaga searched the The Castle of Darkness, for any sign of Scura, but came across nothing.

"Damn it! Where is she!" he shouted.

"Oi, still looking for that Princess, eh?" Rabbia said from behind him. Vaga turned to him.

"Where is she?" he growled. Rabbia laughed.

"I'll tell you where she is. You just have to earn that information," he said, disappearing through a Corridor of Darkness. Vaga narrowed his eyes.

"Earn that information...What is that supposed to mean?" he said. He then about-faced, to block a strike from Mascherina.

"You shouldn't be here," she said, grimly. Vaga glared at her.

"I'm not in the mood for games!" he shouted, jumping back. Mascherina laughed.

"This is no game, love."


	4. Ruin

Chapter 4 – Ruin

Mascherina smiled madly, as she slashed away at Vaga, who was deflecting each blow. He growled, and countered horizontally, black flames emitting from his keyblade.

"Go away Mascherina..." he said, deeply. Mascherina laughed.

"What's the matter? You're awfully aggressive today," she said, grinning. Vaga bared his teeth.

"I'm warning you. Out of the way."

"Where do you need to be so fast?"

"Out. Of. The. Way."

"Scura isn't here. Neither is Nero." Vaga narrowed his eyes.

"Where are they?" he asked, sharply. Mascherina chuckled.

"I'll tell you, if you whip me real good..."

* * *

"The Library was built as a beacon of knowledge. I fueled it with my eternal and all-knowing presence," Futurus explained, "However, those with wicked intentions have found me..."

"Who?"

"Your father, Caelum, and one named Elijah..."

* * *

A boy with extremely long, bright blonde hair stood, looking over his room of the Bastion. It was bone white, and chilly in presence. Pictures of a great man, adorned in red and white, with bright emerald eyes and cropped auburn hair were hung around the room.

The boy stood, still, and calm. He had time. He had everything he needed. He's a boy with a dream, and a strong determination to make everything right.

He only lacked the power. But, he had gained pawns in Caelum and Nero. His time was coming.

Elijah, a child with an endless life, stood, with a smile, ready to shift the world back to the old, and everything will become perfect...

* * *

_Secret Coreham Report 3_

_ The Library...Such a mysterious and wondrous place. Built on the mysteries of a forgotten time. Hidden in the catacombs of history. Doused in the waters of the old ways. A Library, that holds the secrets to perfection._

_ One is Kingdom Hearts. One is a collection of souls. _

_ What a great goal perfection is...Caelum is such a great son, so trying to give me this great goal._

* * *

Debitos bounced back, breathing labored. He had faced wave after wave of his former allies, and all of them stood against him, fighting for a goal they don't believe in. Debitos growled, as he sent a wave of fire out, burning them.

"Where's Miles!" Debitos screamed, before a beam of light rained down, incinerating the army. Debitos eyes widened.

"Here I am..." Miles said, grinning. Debitos squeezed tightly on his keyblade.

"How could you kill your own men!" he shouted. Miles laughed madly.

"Easily...They're merely tools to build our perfection..." he said. Debitos growled.

"I will kill you, and end this war."

"You should just roll over and die," Miles taunted, summoning his ethereal blades, "You'll be so much more useful if you would perish like a sick dog."

* * *

"The Library...The Library..." Avis whispered, shuffling through paperwork. Of course, she doubted that Caelum would be careless enough to put his plans on paper, but still, she had to hope. As she searched, a journal fell out. She picked it up, quickly scanned through it, and gasped in horror.

Rustice slid down a wall, looking for the High Priest Urente. His path had been noticeably less laborous then Debitos, and he was so very grateful for that.

"Why have you come here, child?" Urente asked, appearing through a Corridor of Light. The ruined passageway glimmered, then faded. Rustice narrowed his eyes.

"You know why I'm here...You've betrayed everyone..." he said, angerly. Urente chuckled.

"What good are common peasants?" he answered, with a question, "They are nothing but mere ignorant feed. They will amount to nothing, for that is what they are." Rustice glared at him.

"Peasants are nothing, eh..." he said, summoning his keyblade, "That's such a rude thing to say, to someone who's about to remove your brain from your body!"

"Then come child!"

* * *

Mascherina leaped back, after Vaga swept his keyblade about. She counted with a lightning ball, but that was shattered by Vaga catching the ball, and crushing it.

"Ooh!" Mascherina gushed, "So strong! Just how I remember it!" Vaga growled, and slapped the ground, summoning a sharp spike to emerged, nearly gorging the girl.

"Just tell me!" Vaga screeched, dancing to Mascherina's back. She smiled, and swept around, only for her keyblade to be caught by the enraged man.

"So cool~!" she squeaked, clearly not taking the fight seriously.

"Where is it!" Vaga roared, elbowing her in the gut, before lifting her by her collar.

"Ugh...Why should I tell you?" she said, trying to keep up a facade. Vaga glared at her, but said nothing. Mascherina chuckled.

"Same ol' Vaga. Always so insensitive..." Vaga put her down.

"I'm...I need to know where Nero is..." he said, tone softening. Mascherina scoffed.

"Idiot...I don't know where they are...Sorry..." she said, in a believable tone. Then she stood up.

"I'm only here to slow you down...Goodbye..." Mascherina said, before disappearing through a Corridor of Darkness. Vaga looked down, and closed his eyes.

"I didn't mean to hurt you that much..."

* * *

Urente ran back, casting a multitude of spells, to keep the rushing Rustice back. He, however, could not get away from the man.

"Away with you!" Urente shouted, blasting a tornado at Rustice, who rushed right through it.

"I keep forgetting," Rustice said, with a cocky grin on his face, "You High Priests aren't made out to be fighters." Urente growled, and summoned pillars of light to rise from the ground. Rustice, however, danced through them effortlessly.

"Die!" Urente shouted, preparing his next attack.

"You first!" Rustice said, as he slammed his keyblade into Urente's chest, sending him flying into a wall. He gathered himself, and spit out some blood.

"I refuse to die here..." he said, flatly.

"You don't have the choice..." Rustice said, walking toward him. Urente cackled.

"One with the light cannot die..." he said, as an aura of white overcame him. Rustice rose an eyebrow.

"What's going on?" he said, fear taking a presence in his voice. Uremte laughed wildly, as if he was possessed.

"Perfection is coming! A peasant cannot hope to stop it!" he exclaimed, holding his arms out. Rustice glared at him, preparing to fight him once more.

* * *

Debitos skid backwards, deflecting a rock thrown at him. Miles grinned, as he dashed in,, slashing away at the blonde. Debitos retaliated with a parry, before smacking Miles in the chest. Miles reeled back, before slapping out a pulsating shot of light. The shot exploded, and Debitos was blown off his feet.

"NGH!" Debitos grunted, falling to one knee. Miles burst for him, blades primed for kill. Debitos rolled back to his feet, and flashed out of the way of the strike. Miles laughed.

"Having trouble..." he said, in a mocking tone. Debitos bared his teeth.

"Unlike Coreham and Urente, I have been taught to fight," he added. Debitos sighed, and smiled.

"Trouble? I didn't think your old bones could take it..." he said, "Now, it's time."

* * *

"Elijah, I trust that you are aware on what's happening..." Nero said, sitting in a chair. The room they currently presided was eerily white. The boy did have an extreme fondness for the void of color.

"I am," Elijah answered, smiling fondly, as he looked up, "We're so close. I can feel it..." Nero looked at the table, where a keyblade, without a keychain, and surging with darkness.

"When will the Keyblade of People's Hearts be complete?" Elijah asked.

"Soon..."

The door to the room opened, and a man, named Caelum, walked through, smiling, holding a keyblade made out of edgy, sharp, red crystals.

"Oi, Caelum," Elijah said, brightly, "How's that keyblade coming?"

"Just fine. The Lachryma is nearly complete. The Keyblade of People's Souls is coming along," Caelum said, "The X-Blade be complete, and a new Age of Ancients will rise."

* * *

Rummaging through the ruins of the castle felt...depressing. Vaga rubbed his forehead. How could this happen? This...destruction...This ruin...This...disaster. As he traversed through, a soft, toneless groan was heard. Vage sharply turned toward the sound.

"Who's there!" he shouted, before creeping toward the sound, only to see a bloody figure, underneath a rock. Vaga's eyes widened.

"Guerriero!" he shouted, rushing over to his friend. Guerriero groaned again.

"V-Vaga," he weakly whispered, eyes dimming. Vaga ran to him, and gagged upon seeing him. Guerriero was brutally mangled, as he was missing a arm, from the elbow down, had a horrifically broken nose. Aforementioned, his lower body was underneath ruin. Ironically, it was probably the only thing keeping him alive now.

"Who did this?" Vaga calmly asked, trying to soothe Guerriero's path into the unknown. Guerriero gasped.

"T-The m-m-masked boy..." he groaned, "...He was..." Before he finished his sentence, with his remaining arm, he reached up, and touched Vaga's face, and said, "He looked..." before his arm fell limp. Vaga closed his eyes.

"...He looked like what?" he said, calmly, before standing up. It was clear that Nero wasn't here anymore. The only way he could go now was to the Bastion, and help out Debitos and Rustice. He opened a Corridor of Darkness, and walked through it, after offering his respects to his fallen friend.

* * *

Rustice slid across the ground, after being hit with one of Urente's attack. The High Priest cackled, before blasting him with another ball of magic, sending him across the room. Rustice crashed into the ground, and felt the blood pouring from his head.

"Th-That's n-not g-g-good..." he groaned, before cauterizing the wound, with a scream. However, that wasn't his biggest problem.

No, his biggest problem that he was dead tired. He already couldn't breathe, due to a very likely collapsed lung. He couldn't move anymore. There was nothing else that he could have done.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Urente cracked, "Foolish child! How dare you expect anything other than this result, you idiot peasant!" Rustice stared into the floor angrily.

"I-I-I won't..." Rustice said, trying to push himself off the ground, but failing. Urente laughed madly.

"You won't what?" he said, with a cocky grin.

An explosion was heard, and a mad laugh was heard. Urente looked around.

"Where is that blasted noise coming from?" he said. A sound of wind, and a figure dropped from the ceiling.

"You? Nero's pawn?" Urente said, shocked. The masked boy laughed.

"Pawn? No. That doesn't seem right," Rabbia said, "I'm no pawn..." He started walking to Urente, menacingly, who was backing away.

"I have orders to undergo. You have to disappear, forever..." Rabbia said, before disappearing, reappearing, and stabbing him in the stomach, with his keyblade. Urente grunted, and fell to his knees. Rabbia laughed, before poking him in the eye sockets.

"And you..." Rabbia said, mask obscuring any emotion, yet everyone knew that he was smirking sadstically, "Will shed tears of scarlet..." The cut was swift, yet the absolutely agonizing scream that was heard was everlasting. Rustice, who hated the man just a minute before, was feeling sorrow for him. Urente, a once proud High Priest, was reduced to a man writhing in pain, trying to either halt the blood gushing from his empty sockets, or hasten his death. Either way, it was such an ugly and needlessly bloody way to die.

"Oi!" Rabbia said, waving at the fallen soldier. Rustice stared at him.

"What's with the pathetic look?" Rabbia asked, "It's not like I'm going to kill you. I'm not one for mercy kills." Rustice glared at him.

"Who are you?" he asked. Rabbia shrugged.

"Sometimes, I ask myself the same question."

* * *

Debitos clashed with Miles, standing eye to eye with each other.

"I'm send you to your ruin," Miles said, calmly. Debitos glared at him.

"I don't doubt that," Debitos retorted, before stepping into another strike. Miles blocked the strike, and was sent sliding. He frowned.

"I feel that my dear friend has faded away..." he said, softly. Debitos scoffed.

"Your dear friend?" Debitos said, "Rustice killed him?" Miles shook his head.

"No. A sinister force..." As he said this, the floor exploded, and the masked boy rose from it.

"Hey," Rabbia said, calmly. Miles did not react.

"Hmph..." Miles grunted, holding no reaction to this sudden turn of events. Rabbia landed in front of the Priest, and sliced his shoulder. Blood exploded from his body, yet Miles did not emote. Rabbia sighed.

"What's wrong with you?" Rabbia groaned, "No reaction or nothin'..." Miles scoffed.

"I will not give you, nor Nero the satisfaction of a reaction, even in death," he said. Rabbia chuckled.

"Then how bout I tell you that Caelum himself ordered the hit..." Miles stared at the masked boy, then started to laugh.

"That's humorous, thinking that he could pull one over on me. Such a fool, Caelum Non Cor, could pull one on me," he said, sweeping the hair out of his face, "Yet whatever he does, he fails at. Go ahead youth. I am an old man. I no longer require life." Rabbia hesitated, then cut the man's neck, causing him to bleed out. Rabbia scoffed.

"That wasn't fun at all," he said, annoyed. Then he turned to Debitos.

"I wonder if you got a little vigor left in you," Rabbia said. Debitos growled.

"Who are you?" he asked, squeezing his keyblade tightly. Rabbia chuckled.

"That's a good question," he said, "I don't have anything else to done, so I can spare some time to play with you..." After a pause, he cupped his ear, as if he was receiving some kind of message.

"Oops, I lied," Rabbia said, "I actually do have something to do. Now that I'm leaving, you might want to save your friend, he's in a pretty bad shape. Auf wiedersehen!" After this, he disappeared through a corridor.

"Wha..." Debitos said, with shock plastered on his face.

* * *

"Rustice! Rustice!" Debitos called out, hand cupped over his mouth. An anquished sound of misery was heard, and Debitos jumped down, off a pile of rubble, finally finding his target.

"Geez. You look awful," Debitos said, with a small grin. Rustice growled weakly.

"Heal me..." he whispered, with all the air he could gather. Debitos crouched down, spun out his keyblade, and cast a cure, healing them both.

"Oh, so much better," Rustice sighed, feeling the burning sensation of pain disappear. Debitos helped him up.

"Well," Rustice said, "Now what?" Debitos shrugged.

"We don't know where Caelum is?" he said, "We'll going blindly into this battle. We'll just going to have to keep pushing forward. " A small tremor was felt, and they heard something collapse.

"Is the Radiant Garden falling apart?" Rustice asked.

"I don't know. Let's get out of these ruins though."

* * *

"Debitos!" the soft voice of Avis rang out. Debitos and Rustice turned around, quite surprised to see their friend in such a dangerous area.

"Avis?" Debitos said, "What are you doing here!"

"Caelum..." she said, breathless from the running, "Caelum..."

"Yes, Caelum is a traitor. We know that already," Rustice said. Avis shook her head.

"No, I know how Caelum earned the trust of the High Priests!" Debitos and Rustice shared looks.

"Keep speaking."

* * *

"I built this monument to knowledge, so mankind can never fall down that path again," Futurus explained, "A nearly timeless stature. The three days you experienced has only been one hour to me. Knowledge should have no time limit, after all."

"But, how did this happen?" Scura said, "This pursuit of perfection. Why did immortality become the end all goal of the keyblades?"

"It's mostly my fault. When I created hearts, I created keyblades to control the elements. To control Kingdom Hearts, the goal of hearts, I created the X-blade, the goal of keyblades. The world should have never been forced to use them, but I made a mistake. Humanity used keyblades in the wrong sense, to battle each other. Surely, the X-blade would have been used wrongly too. So I have made my decision for what I'm going to do to correct my mistake."

"And what's that?" Scura asked. Futurus smiled and closed her eyes.

"What I plan to do..." she said, opening her eyes, "I plan to destroy all hearts in existence."

* * *

Author's Note: If you believe that I might need to up my rating, just say so. This chapter was pretty violent.


	5. Hurt

Chapter 5 – Hurt

Scura took a step back, in utter disbelief.

"De-Destroy hearts?" she sputtered. Futurus nodded.

"This isn't like its a bad thing," she said, "I created this mistake, to prevent total deconstruction, and the past I have tried so desperately to leave behind." Scura stared at her, with bewildered eyes.

"Are you insane!?" she shouted, "Are you that unconcerned with the lives of so many people!?"

"You don't need the heart to survive," Futurus said, relaxed, "And anyway, do you have a better plan, child?"

"You can trust future generations to use your gift more responsibly. Maybe if you educate proper use of the keyblade, maybe we wouldn't be in a war in the first place."

"The keyblades aren't meant to be used in the first place. They are a safeguard to prevent the worlds from falling under. Humanity are the ones who sped the tread to the fall. Hearts are to blame. They are easily swayed in a direction, and they are nearly impossible to be persuaded against. My fault, again."

"What do you mean?"

"In the Age of Ancients, humanity were slaves to the Ancients, a series of immortals. They were powerless, as humans could not hold darkness nor in their empty bodies. The ancients were immortal since they could exist as the element, untainted. Light and darkness are eternal after all...

"Those named Ancients, however, warred, in strong belief of their, and their interpretations, of their element. As the appointed Kiln of Existence, I had to do something. So I put the power of the elements into the mortals, and gave them a container, made of both light and darkness. The Ancients crumbled away, their elements stripped away from them, and the endless warring ceased.

"Yet, there was a third element. One that I was not aware of. One that no Ancient, mortal, or other being could have noticed. _Nothingness..._

"That child, Elijah, was the slave of an Ancient. He worshiped him, even more than the other slaves, and when the Age of Hearts began, he rejected the gift, and became an Ancient in the forgotten element.

"He was determined to revert the world back to the ways of the old time. I cannot allow that to happen. So, I'm doing what's best for the world..." Futurus then looked down, sadly, "You make this out like this is an easy decision for me. With the destruction of hearts, my existence will be made void..." Scura's eyes widened.

"So, even if you need to die, you'll still make this choice?" Scura asked. Futurus nodded.

"Isn't that what any Kiln of Existence would do?"

* * *

Vaga stood, looking over the castle, pillowed by blankets of smoke. He narrowed his golden eyes.

"What happened here?" he said, slightly shocked by the destruction, when a cackle of laughter was heard. Vaga turned slowly.

"Like the view," Rabbia said, standing behind him. Vaga glared at him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Could ask you the same thing."

"**What **are you doing here?"

"Going keep repeating yourself, huh?"

"...I'm done here," Vaga said, turning around, before running face to mask with the enemy.

"Are you ready for round two?"

* * *

The Castle of Babylon, a castle beyond the valley nearby the Bastion, stood tall, seemingly unaffected by the conflict. Debitos, Rustice, and Avis walked through the entrance, and found a vicous secret.

Bodies, and lots of them. Rustice and Debitos gasped.

"What the hell happened here!?" Debitos shouted. Avis walked ahead of the duo.

"Caelum...He organized a slaughter. The minor priests who opposed where disposed of, and Caelum went on his way," she answered.

"But why would Miles and Urente aid someone who killed the other priests?" Rustice asked.

"At first, it didn't make sense to me either, but then I discover the reason..."

"What was it?" Debitos asked, softly. Avis continued walking, just a pace faster.

"Miles and Urente were obsessed with perfection, just as Caelum, but unlike him, they would never go to these lengths for it. Caelum convinced them to follow suit, through promises of Godhood, and one other reason."

"What could it be?" Rustice said.

"Their leader, Coreham the Superior Priest, wanted it to be so..."

"But why is this a big deal," Debitos said, "Of course the Superior would side with his son." The three walked up a winding staircase, leading to the top floor, where the Superior's room was.

"Coreham disagreed with Caelum at first. He called this pursuit meaningless and futile. He said that perfection shall never belong to man..." Avis's tone sounded dreary. Debitos looked around as the reach his bedroom door.

"Why are we here?" he asked, "The Superior is but but an old man. There is no reason for us to..." As the door opened, so did Debitos's and Rustice's mouths. The room was remarkably clean, yet it held one of the dirtiest secrets inside the entire kingdom.

"W-What? W-Why?" Rustice said, at a complete lost of words. Avis frown deepened. Debitos blinked in confusion, but did not say anything, as there was nothing for him to say.

In the middle of the room of their esteemed leader, a throne sat. And upon that throne, sat the decaying corpse of Coreham Non Car, the Superior Priest...

* * *

"Check your bases," Elijah tonelessly said to Caelum, who was staring at the Lachryma, which had stopped growing.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Elijah glared at the man, who then looked down, before summoning a Corridor of Light, returning him back to the Radiant Garden. Nero scoffed.

"That fool..." Nero said, "He failed cleaning up..." Elijah frowned.

"This better not effect the plan, that damn Caelum..." he said, with a grim edge to his voice.

* * *

As sparks exploded from the blades of the fierce warriors, Rabbia bounced back, shooting a blast of fire at Vaga, who smashed right through it. He then connected with Rabbia's chest, with a downward smash, sending him flying through a thin tree.

"Good show!" Rabbia shouted, before firing a lightning mine at Vaga, who couldn't avoid in time, and caught the full brunt of the attack. He fell to one knee, before Rabbia cam rushing in, swinging for the head. Vaga managed to roll out of the way, but all he did was roll on top of a hidden mine, blowing him up into the air.

"Shit!" Vaga grunted, sweeping around to prevent Rabbia from attacking again. Rabbia jumped up, but settled for retreating back, and the two combatants returned to a neutral ground.

"Good one!" Rabbia said, covering his advance with a arcing ball of fire. The ball exploded right in front of Vaga, and through the flames came a charging Rabbia, who clubbed Vaga into the gut, then kicked him into the air. In a nearly instant reaction, Rabbia grabbed Vaga's ankle, and slammed him into the ground, back first. To finish, Rabbia jumped back, firing a Dark Firaga at Vaga, which exploded around him.

"RAH!" he screamed, sliding across the ground. Rabbia landed, and took off in a sprint at him. Vaga forced his eyes opened, and recovered with a spin, fire dancing off of his feet, forcing the masked boy back.

"Die!" Vaga growled, firing an thin arrow at Rabbia. It stabbed right through his chest, knocking him onto his back. Vaga rose, and fired a ball of ice straight into the air. He then fired a spike of ice, which Rabbia easily blocked. Vaga smiled.

"You aren't very smart, eh?" Vaga taunted, backing up. Rabbia tilted his head, before the ball of ice hit the ground behind him, sending shrapnel of ice flying. The spikes sliced up of the skintight suit Rabbia was wearing,. One of the shards had eyes, and aimed for the center of Rabbia's masked forehead, but only pierced it. He pulled the shard out, and crushed it.

"Cheap trick," Rabbia said, "But tricks aren't going to beat me." Vaga's cloak danced in the wind.

"Go away," Vaga growled. Rabbia laughed.

"Why don't you just rollover and die?" Rabbia said, "It'll make my job a lot easier." Vaga spun his keyblade, and formed his stance, holding his keyblade parallel to the ground, behind his back. Rabbia chuckled, and held his keyblade high.

* * *

The remaining members of Bellatores intra Luceat stood, staring up at the visage of the fallen leader, dumbstruck. Caelum looked up, in horror, and growled.

"I refuse to allow this to destroy our plan..." he said, shaking his fist. He summoned his keyblade, a white blade with a sharp flourish, and tooth. He jumped down to the bottom, and began cleaning up...

"What...Who did this?" Debitos gasped, "Was it Caelum?" Avis nodded.

"He killed the Superior, and took his place, making decisions through him," Avis said, "With Miles and Urente natural curiosity in the subject, Caelum found it very easy to persuade them to join him."

"Clever girl..." Caelum said, appearing right behind the girl. Debitos and Rustice gasped, summoning their keyblades. Avis tried to escape, but Caelum caught her by her hair.

"What you just committed, my dear, is a little crime called high treason," Caelum said, coldly.

"Let her go Caelum!" Debitos shouted, panicked.

"And I'm quite aware that you know that the punishment for treason is death." Caelum summoned his keyblade and slashed through the girl. As he held the girls blonde hair, the cast off body fell to the ground, limp. Rustice and Debitos were frozen. Caelum glared at his former subjects, with dangerous intentions.

"Your punishment is due," Caelum growled, tossing the head away. Debitos and Rustice stared at the scene, completely shocked.

"You..." Debitos said, mind running wild with emotions. Caelum started walking to them, calmly.

"I will not have anyone interrupt the plan..." he said. Debitos felt tears welling up.

"BACK OFF!" he roared, flames exploding from his keyblade, "I'll start counting the minutes, if I were you!" Caelum glared at him.

"Begone," he said.

"Make us."

* * *

Vaga rolled out of the way of a horizontal slash, then fired three blasts of darkness, which Rabbia easily evaded. Vaga then summoned a pillar of darkness, forcing Rabbia to jump back. Rabbia, flipping back, fired a ball of cackling darkness, which Vaga could not dodge. A massive explosion, and Vaga was no where to be seen.

"Where did ya go?" Rabbia said, looking about. A figure of darkness rose, and a keyblade found itself on the side of his head. Rabbia was sent flying, skidding across the ground. Out of the darkness, Vaga appeared.

"Clever..." Rabbia said. The crack in his mask grew. Vaga glared at him

"Let me go," Vaga said, "I have something to do. I'll deal with you later." Rabbia laughed madly, sitting up.

"Even though I killed your best friend, you still would let me go," he said, "Why don't you get angry?"

"Because I don't have the time." More laughter rang from Rabbia.

"Then I'll make it..."

* * *

Caelum glanced between the two men, keyblade hovering just out of his hand. Debitos and Rustice glared at him, armed.

"Stop with this pointless noise," Caelum said, his keyblade dancing around him, "You shouldn't be in such a rush to throw your lives away."

"Stop trying to intimidate us," Debitos said, gravely, "You know you can't beat us. So this is a pointless game you are playing." Caelum narrowed his eyes.

"You shouldn't be so arrogant," he said, "I'm not the leader of the Bellatores intra Luceat for nothing." He then rose his arms, and dashed in, forcing Debitos and Rustice to split.

"Divine Punisher!" Caelum shouted, holding his arms out, with a golden-white blast flowing out. Rustice summoned an orb of light, which absorbed the blast, and fired it back, as Debitos merely jumped out of the way. Caelum grunted, and teleported out of the way.

"Pests," he said, before finding a keyblade slammed into his midsection. He roared in pain, before Debitos finished the combination with a quick kick, staggering the leader. Before he could recover, Rustice smacked him in the chin, knocking him back into a wall.

"Die!" Rustice shouted, firing a quick succession of lightning balls into the chest of the Commander, the bolts of electricity ripping through his body. He screamed, as his body went into a spasm.

"NGH!" Caelum grunted, before falling to the ground, shaking slightly. Rustice and Debitos walked up to the downed man, slowly. Caelum's green eyes illuminated with anger.

"I won't allow this..." he growled, a dangerously red aura lightly simmering around his body.

* * *

A red lightning bolt exploded nearby, attracting the attention of the masked boy. He groaned.

"That idiot is going to ruin everything," Rabbia said, palming his mask. Vaga smiled.

"What's wrong, is everything going run," he said. Rabbia groaned again, and reformed his stance.

"It's no matter," he answered, "Nero has everything under control..." Vaga's smile dropped.

"So, you know where he is?" he said. Rabbia nodded. The crack in his mask grew.

"Oops, better get this thing fixed. Too bad I couldn't kill ya," Rabbia said, summoning a Corridor of Darkness. Vaga did not move. A piece of the mask chipped off, and flew harmlessly to the ground.

"So, you're just going to leave. Just because of a broken helmet," Vaga said. Rabbia chuckled.

"Sorry bout that, but I have to go. See you around..." Vaga watched him leave, and narrowed his eyes. Another lightning bolt attacked the ground, and Vaga looked for the Bastion.

* * *

Caelum laughed madly, bright red aura exploding around him. Lightning danced around him violently. Debitos and Rustice backed away, cautiously.

"The power of the Lachryma! It flows within me!" Caelum shouted. He began gathering red energy in his hands, and fired away, blasting a clunk of the floor. Debitos and Rustice split.

"Die heathens!" Caelum madly cried, firing more red bursts of energy, as his flew around, seeking a life to take. Rustice evaded the blast, and jumped in, slashing his keyblade through the madman. Caelum groaned, clutching his sides with one hand, and reaching out for his keyblade with the other.

"Attack!" he screamed, turning his keyblade into a whip, and using it to slap the face of Rustice, who hollered in agony, as he fell to the ground. Caelum prepared another blast of red energy, before Debitos interrupted him.

"Barrier!" he shouted, shielding him and Rustice from the attack. However, the barrier could not hold strong after such a attack, and the two were blown into a wall. Debitos groaned as he rose to his feet; Rustic, on the other hand, sat still, with blood pouring from his left eye.

"That Lachryma...How many people does it hold?" Debitos asked. Caelum laughed.

"I do not need to answer for the dead," he said, walked toward them very slowly. Rustice groaned.

"Get...out of here..." he said, raising he head, revealing that he had actually lost his left eye, instead of a simple wound. Debitos gasped.

"I can't just leave you!" he retorted, helping his friend off the ground, and back to his feet. Rustice chuckled.

"Go...If he kills us both, then the world is surely doomed..." he said. Debitos look softened.

"Then why don't you go," he offered, "I'm in better shape than you are." Rustice shook his head.

"I'm kinda missing an eye..." he said, blood dripping into his mouth. He spit it out, before saying, "I'm not worth saving now. Go ahead, find Vaga, find the Library, and save everyone..." He pushed off Debitos, and charged in for an attack. With a downward swing, Caelum hoped to over power the wounded youth, but Rustice still had enough energy to deflect the attack.

"Now go!" he barked, "I can handle this!" With a downtrodden look, Debitos left the room of the Superior. He didn't want to leave, but for the sake of Coreham, Avis, and the other fallen members of the pointless war, he had to.

"No escape!" Caelum shouted, diving for the blonde, before he received a kick to the stomach, followed up with a smash to the face.

"I'm your opponent now..." Rustice said, gravely.

* * *

Vaga walked through the bloody plaza of the Bastion. This once beautiful castle, a monument to light, darkened by the drying blood. Vaga would normally be sick, but he was now attuned to slaughters.

"I have to find them," he said, calmly, "I can't allow this to get worse."

* * *

"Where's Nero?" Rabbia asked Elijah, who was wandering around the main lobby of the Library. The boy, walked past him, ignoring the question.

"I asked you a question," Rabbia said. Elijah paused.

"What do you want?" Elijah said, harshly.

"Where's Elijah?"

"He left for business." Then Elijah continued to walk away.

"What's wrong with you?" Elijah then stopped. Another piece of Rabbia's mask chipped off, revealing his black hair.

"You need to get that thing fixed." And with that, Elijah walked off, clearly not wanting to talk to the boy anymore. Rabbia shrugged.

* * *

Rustice slid across the ground, blood dripping down his lame, left arm, breathing heavily. Caelum laughed at the effort he was displaying.

"How pathetic," Caelum said, "Expected, but still pathetic." Rustice laughed.

"And you still believe you are going to leave this room alive, eh?" Rustice said, calmly, "I'm still standing, for I do not fear death. You, on the other hand, is willing to ruin your entire plan, just to beat me. A lot more pathetic, in my opinion." Caelum growled.

"I'll make mincemeat out of you," he said, huskily. Rustice grinned.

"Keep burning through that Lachryma. All you are doing is making my job easier..." Caelum roared, before plunging his keyblade into Rustice's midsection, before slamming him into the ground. As Rustice laid in a pool of his seeping blood, Caelum stopped on him, laughing maniacally.

"You were a fool to leave yourself to an early grave," he said, turning his back. Rustice laid, still. Caelum's red aura died out, and he began to leave the room, in pursuit of Debitos.

"Hey, Caelum," Rustice groaned, using his keyblade as a rest, "I got two words for you..." Caelum paused.

"Fuck you," Rustice calmly said, as he slammed his keyblade into the floor.

* * *

It was loud. Vaga felt the vibrations. The wind changed, from a light breeze, to a heavy force. Vaga looked around, from on top of the castle's roof, and saw a collapsing castle in the background.

* * *

"RUSTICE!" Debitos screamed, running to the foot of the castle. With a glimmer from the sun, a falling keyblade sunk itself into the ground, a hand still attached to the guard. Debitos eyes widened.

"Debitos!" Vaga said, appearing out of a corridor, "What happened here!?" Debitos stood, motionless. The sky darkened, from the smoke.

"Caelum..." he said, shaken, "We have to go..." He walked over to the keyblade, Rising Spirits, and grabbed it, the loose hand fell off.

"I'm sorry for your lost," Vaga said, opening a Corridor of Darkness. Debitos shook his head, opening a Corridor of Light.

"Don't be. This is a war. Lives are going to be lost." He walked through the corridor. Vaga narrowed his eyes.

"Doesn't mean they still can't hurt..."

* * *

A blue eye peered from behind the mask. Rabbia stood in front of a mirror, stripping himself of it. For some reason, Nero refused to tell him the reasoning of the mask. He refused to tell him his origins. For a dog of the military, Rabbia was okay with this. But he still had his curiosity...He's only human.

The mask fully removed, he allowed himself to witness the apearance, and found something horribly wrong.

"What the...Why do I look like..." Then he gasped.

Memories. Countless memories, flooding his head. No context. No clue. They contradicted with his current being. Then, his creation. Rabbia's eyes widened.

Then he screamed.


	6. Black and White

Chapter 6 – Black and White

Viola heard the marching. She calmly stepped out of the house she and heard brother shared, and stared at the rushing armada, with her deep blue eyes. Lux scampered up beside her, clearly afraid. Viola sighed as she summoned her keyblade.

"Sorry about this," she whispered, before stabbing it in the back. The Shadow withered away, and Viola closed her eyes, as she stepped toward the army...

* * *

"AHHHH!" Debitos cried, before landing in a dune of sand. His eyes slowly open, half aware of his surroundings.

"So, this is where the darkness lives..." he said, sliding down the dune. He looked around, wondering if a light could even exist in such a place. Then he realized that he was alone.

"Vaga!" he shouted, looking around the empty void. A flurry of wind kicked up, and the sand shifted from under his feet, forcing him to stumble slightly.

"God, this place is so depressing..."

"I agree," a female voice said, wavering in the wind. Debitos turned his head slowly, and saw Mascherina, standing.

"What are you doing here?" Debitos asked, "I thought you would be dead..." Mascherina chuckled, then walked closer to the warrior of light, revealing a deep flesh wound, across her chest.

"I thought I would be too," she replied, "But there are bigger matters at hand..."

* * *

"We must have gotten separated when we left the Corridor..." Vaga said, dead of any tone. He was really, really tired. Exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

"I hope I can find him, quickly..." he said, trying to figure out where he was. Lighting a fire on his hand, he saw that he was in the basement of the ruined castle. Vaga rose an eyebrow.

"Why here?" he said, confused.

* * *

Upon the balcony of the ruined castle, Rabbia stood, dressed in a black and white suit, with matching helmet.

"He's here..." he said, flatly, jumping down to the main floor, and waited.

* * *

"King Nero...He betrayed us all..." Mascherina said, looking down, "And now, he's cleaning up anyone else who lives..."

"Like what Caelum did?" Debitos asked. Mascherina nodded.

"Anyone with a keyblade is a danger to his plan...That's why he led me on, blind, then threw me to dry..." she said, bitterly, "His remaining forces are probably looking for me..."

"Then let's go find Nero," he said, "We need to hurry too, because I feel we're running out of time."

* * *

Vaga walked through the ruined palace's laboratory, feeling a tremendous amount of dread. Despite the scars of war shining on the castle, the laboratory stood, untouched. As if the laboratory was barred off, sealed away for whatever reason.

"Hello, Vaga..." Rabbia said, flatly, "You have arrived..." Vaga narrowed his eyes.

"You...Did you take me here?" Vaga growled. Rabbia nodded.

"You must find the truth," he said. He then summoned his keyblade, and pointed it at Vaga.

"If you defeat me, I will inform you of your former king's location." Vaga's eyes widened, then focused into a cold smirk.

"Then let's go..." he said, darkly, "I'm waiting..."

* * *

"We're so close..." Elijah said, looking up at the freshly relocated Kingdom Hearts, shining in its eternal radiance.

"Your quest for the past shall go unrealized..." Futurus said, walking beside him. Elijah smiled.

"Why would a Kiln such as you be concerned with my plans," he said, sharply, "Don't you have something more important to do?"

"My duty is to insure the future of existence," she said, "With the return of the Ancients, life itself may fall to the wayside...What I am doing is for the best..."

"Of course, this pitiful excuse. My duty is to my master, which your actions caused his destruction. How dare you say that you know what is best!?"

"Of course. Such foolish arrogance. What foolish ignorance. You wish for a realm of endless warfare, instead of piece?"

"I wish for my master."

"Then you are a fool." Futurus walked away, footsteps clapping against the floor loudly. Elijah narrowed his eyes.

* * *

Rabbia blocked an overhead strike, before sweeping low with a kick, which Vaga easily jumped over. While airborne, Vaga transformed his keyblade into a bow, and fired off four dark arrows. Two missed the target, while the other two stuck themselves into Rabbia's chest, where they promptly exploded. Rabbia was thrown into the ground, onto his back. His mask cracked loudly.

"Fire!" Vaga shouted. A bright flame exploded from his keyblade, and crackled violently. Rabbia rolled out of the way, and fired a volley of dark bullets at the aggressor. Vaga spun around the shots, and snapped a whip toward Rabbia, slapping him across his chest. With a muffled grunt, Rabbia stabbed his keyblade into the ground, kicking up the ground.

"Cascata Nera!" he growled, and from the scar on the ground, rushing water exploded from it. The water burnt away at anything it touched, forcing Vaga to evade with extreme caution.

"Violenta Ondata!" Rabbia shouted, as a thin beam of energy fired from his left hand, scarring the walls around Vaga.

"Die!" Vaga shouted, jumping through a Corridor of Darkness, and slashing through Rabbia about seven times, before knocking him into the air, then back down, with a devastating attack, with waves of darkness exploding from the ground. Rabbia screamed in pain, as he was sent flying through the air. Vaga gathered himself, then ran for the boy, who was charging an attack.

"Morte Sfera!" he screamed, a ball of electricity and darkness exploding in his hands, "This is it!" Vaga barred his teeth, and reformed his stance.

"This isn't going to work!" Vaga shouted. The crack in Rabbia's mask grew.

"We'll see about that!" he said, launching it. Vaga growled.

"Dark Barrier!" he shouted, and a purple barrier overcame him. The ball of darkness clashed with the barrier, and the laboratory threaten to keel over.

"Reject!" Vaga then shouted, and a thick beam of darkness fired away, overtaking Rabbia, who's screams of agony as lost in the sounds of destruction.

The dust cleared, and the two warriors stood, about fifteen feet away from each other. Rabbia was slumped over, suffering from pain and fatigue. Vaga stared at him, showing a bit of pity for the soul.

"This didn't have to happen..." Vaga said. Rabbia head lowered, then he dashed for him. Vaga quickly reacted, and rushed for him, inflicting the blow before his opponent could, with a stab through the chest.

"Of course it did..." Rabbia said, falling to his back. Upon contact with the floor, his entire mask shattered, and Vaga gasped, in horror.

"What...What the hell are you?" he said, walking up to the boy. Shocked yellow eyes, looking deep into broken and dull blue ones. Vaga chuckled.

"It's a long story..." he said, "But its been a long time..."

* * *

"It was inevitable that he learned the truth..." Nero said, looking at his Keyblade of People's Hearts, "Yet it could have waited...Foolish Rabbia..."

* * *

On the ground, the revealed face of Rabbia laid. And gazing, in shock, was Vaga.

"Why?" he asked, in a almost pleading tone. Rabbia closed his blue eyes, wondering if they would ever open again.

"That's a question that will be answered shortly..."

On the ground, the revealed face of Rabbia laid. And revealed face was nothing short of a surprise. In all the sick atrocities that have taken place, this was one of the worst.

On the ground, the face of Rabbia was revealed to be nothing more than the teenaged face of Vaga.

* * *

"My mother was killed in the laboratories..." Mascherina said, "I was only fifteen...At her funeral, I met Vaga. A little while later, we began dating...But then he was promoted to the Royal Guard, and he and I were no more..." Despite losing his love to death, Debitos knew nothing about the ending a relationship, and all the wish wash about it. He merely offered her a face of pity.

"I heard he began courting Princess Scura...I was jealous of her...And Nero offered me a way back into Vaga's heart...Stupid, am I..."

"I don't know. Relationships aren't my strong suit," Debitos answered. Mascherina smiled, slightly, before coughing out a bit of blood.

"I don't have much longer...Can you take me to him?" she asked, "Just for one last time..." Debitos began to offer that he could heal her, he realized that was something she did not want, or would accept. Life had ran the course for her. She was done with this. Debitos nodded, and walked beside her.

* * *

Rabbia began to fade away, into darkness. Vaga stood, head against a wall.

"It'll all make sense, in a while..." Vaga said, "We will gone back to our rightful positions; Me as the vessel, and you as the master..." Vaga pounded the wall.

"What the hell do you mean!?" he snapped. Vaga chuckled.

"Just listen...to your memories..." he said, fading away. Moments, then Vaga fainted.

* * *

_"My Lord..." Vaga said, looking at his King with large, blue eyes. Nero looked down on the boy, menacingly._

_ "Have you discovered your keyblade?" he asked, deep voice booming. Vaga nodded, with great fear. Nero smirked._

_ "Then let us go. Your potential must be evaluated..."_

* * *

_ In a large, white laboratory, Vaga felt nervous. He wondered if every keyblade wielder had to go through this weird training._

_ "When a Heartless appears, destroy it," one of the scientists ordered. Vaga nodded, and summoned his keyblade. A simple, harmless Shadow appeared._

_ "Is this it?" Vaga said. _

_ "Do not fret, child. It gets much harder."_

* * *

_ 163 waves into the exercise, and Vaga could barely breathe._

_ "Please...Please stop..." he groaned. Nero stepped into the training room._

_ "You shown us so much potential in the past...And so has your sister" he said, "Where is it now?"_

_ "I'm not my sister..." Vaga whispered, looking down. Nero summoned his keyblade._

_ "How unfortunate," he said, stabbing Vaga in the heart. Vaga's body fell limp, as the heart floated at the end of Nero's keyblade._

_ "But I can recreate you. Make you better," he said, when the heart was taken by swirling darkness._

_ "What?" Nero said. The darkness stilled, and an identical copy of Vaga was built around it. Nero's eyes widened. A lab technician ran into the room._

_ "What happening?" The body stirred, birthing a smile on Nero's face._

_ "Something amazing. And something that never leaves this laboratory..."_

* * *

Vaga awoke, in the laboratory, alone. He looked around, looking for nothing in particular.

"Why..." he said, rising to his feet, and opening a Corridor of Darkness.

* * *

Since Mascherina could no longer walk, Debitos decided to carry her. They had been traversing in quiet, when they came across a destroyed house, with Vaga sitting in front of it. The three beings acknowledged each others presence, but nobody said or did anything. Debitos sat Mascherina next to Vaga, who shifted to let her rest on him.

"I'm sorry Vaga..." she said. Vaga did not react.

"I'm not mad at you..." he said, flatly. She noticed his eyes, and smiled.

"They're blue...It looks good..."

"Why didn't you let him heal you?"

"It's not important..."

"...Of course it's not..." A heavy period of silence occurred.

"I know you would have chosen her anyway...I've been such an ass...I wouldn't deserve it anyway..."

"Nothing matters," Vaga said, "The world is dead..." Mascherina looked into his eyes, and saw nothing but sadness.

"But can do something about that..." she said. Vaga shook his head.

"Why try when there is nothing to fight for..."

* * *

Surrounded by unbelievably mangled corpses was a lone grave, with a single flower as its dressing. Debitos walked to it, but was repelled by a strong, thick barrier. Debitos thought nothing of it, and walked back to where Vaga sat.

It was time to strike Nero. And the last destination for the war was set.

* * *

_ "VIOLA!" Vaga screamed, running over to his sister. Her body was beaten and scarred, blue from bruising, and bleeding heavily. Despite this, she still held a visage of grace._

_ "Vaga..." she groaned, with a faint smile, "Your blue eyes...they came back..." Vaga summoned his keyblade, and attempted to cast a heal on her. The green leaves surrounded her, then quickly turned brown. Vaga's eyes widened, in complete shock._

_ "Let me heal you!" he shouted. Viola smile grew._

_ "I wanted to see them again..." she said, "You have grown so much, from that childish brat that you were...And now, you're a grown man..."_

_ "Viola! Let me heal you!"_

_ "All I ever wanted was for you to be happy...Our parents would have wished for that..."_

_ "Please, Viola!"_

_ "And now, you're so strong...I'm sorry I couldn't do more..." Blood seeped through her wounds. Vaga was shaking visibly._

_ "Here," she said, offering him her keyblade, Precious Gifts, a dark blue keyblade, decorated by a lighter shade of blue ivy plant wrapping itself around the blade. The teeth was made up of a V._

_ "Here is my last gift to you..." she said, in what was nearly a whisper. Vaga couldn't say anything. The hand that once held the keyblade was now caressing Vaga's wet cheeks._

_ "Brother," she said, tone sounding depressing flat, "I love you, and I hope you have a bright future...Please don't let...let this w-war...war..." The hand fell to the ground, enunciated with a empty thud, and Vaga looked down. Then he started scooping up dirt, to prepare for a burial..._

* * *

_ "Your favorite flower..." Vaga said, toneless. He place a purple and white lilac on the grave. He then place a barrier on it, to protect it. _

_ "Not even time will touch you..."_

_ After a moment of reflection, soldiers started to gather around him._

_ "King Nero's orders..." one of them said, a sword pointed at him. Vaga's blue eyes glowed, with a violent passion._

_ "That's might be true..." he said, with a purple aura gathering around him, "But that still does not save you, from my anger."_

_ "You're next. Please, make this easy for us. Unlike the girl, we really don't need-" one of the soldiers started, before he found a keyblade impaled into his jaw._

_ "You will all pay." Vaga said, "You will absorb my hatred and anger. You will all suffer._

* * *

"Like me..." Vaga said, finishing up another makeshift grave, this time for Mascherina.

"Are you ready?" Debitos said. Vaga nodded, as he opened a corridor.

"This is the end. This is the end of all of this..." he said. Debitos looked down, and walked through the portal. Nero looked back, taking in all that had happened in the past few hours, and followed suit.

* * *

"Out of all of my many regrets..." Rodin said, sitting in his throne, "This one stands atop the mountain..." He killed the lights in the room, and prepared to take leave from the Land of Departure. It was a massive step, but in situations like these, promises had to be broken.

* * *

_Coreham, the Ancient Priest_

_ My son is planning in replacing me. I guess his ego has told him that his way was absolute. Another failure on my record as a parent._

_ The blackest of days are ahead. I just hope that it ends, with the worlds intact... _


	7. Bleed Me

Chapter 7 – Bleed Me

The Library was exactly that. A library. A bland one, at that. Vaga and Debitos appeared in a long, empty hallway, stained gray.

"We need to find Nero quickly..." Vaga said, "When we find Nero, we can put an end to this nonsense..."

"Yeah..." Debitos said. The two walked down the hall, silently.

* * *

Scura sat, near a row of books, head against her knees. Futurus had left her. She was, again, alone in the massive library...But now, she had news she was not prepared to handle.

Then she heard footsteps. She snapped up to her feet, preparing to flee, when she felt _his _presence.

"Vaga..." she said softly, freezing in place. Was it really him? Could it be?

"Vaga!" she shouted, turning the corner, into the hallway. Vaga and Debitos froze.

"Scura?" Vaga said, surprised. Scura stood, tears welling in her eyes, before running into Vaga's arms.

"Vaga!" she sobbed, "You're really here!" Vaga smiled slightly.

"I'm here, Scura," he said, rubbing her back, "But it's not safe for you here." Scura looked up, into Vaga's eyes, with teary purple globes.

"But..." she wimpered, desperately wanting to stay with him.

"You can't stay..." he said, sternly. Scura looked down, realizing that he was right.

"...I guess you're right..." she said, sadly. Vaga kissed her softly, then opened a corridor.

"Vaga, I...I'm...I'm in love with you," she said, facing the corridor.

"Scura...Wait," Vaga said, summoning his keyblade, the fully realized Broken Moon. He held it at the teeth, and pointed the the guard at her.

"Grab it," he said. Scura nervously clutched the handle, and Vaga closed his eyes.

"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking...its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me...No ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love..." The keyblade flashed out of existence, then Vaga turned around.

"Scura, find happiness," he whispered, before rejoining Debitos. Scura looked back for the final time, and walked through the corridor.

* * *

"What exactly are we doing here?" Ronald, the duck, said, extremely afraid. Mortimer narrowed his eyes.

"Do whatever we can..." he said, "Rodin trusted us. We still have one more thing to do."

* * *

Nero stood, looking up at the magnificent stained glass, decorating the outside of the Library. So close, yet so far.

"Nero..." Debitos said, behind him. Nero narrowed his eyes. Of course...Pests...

"What do you two want?" he growled. Vaga and Debitos summoned their keyblades.

"You know what must be done..." Vaga said. Nero laughed.

"I know what must be done! Foolishness!" he said, "What must be done is the evolution to perfection. The final frontier. The recreation of man. That is what needs to be done.

"Do maggots like you believe that perfection is a lie!? I have unlocked it! I have discovered it! No one, especially foolish youth like you shall tell me otherwise. I shall not allow it!

"I have finally reached my goal! I have finally reached the pinacle! I need one more piece, and perfection is no longer a dream, but a reality." A Corridor of Light opened, and a brutally mangled Caelum Non Car walked out, holding the Keyblade of People's Souls tightly.

"Ah!" Nero shouted, with a ravaged expression, "There it is!" he teleported toward Caelum, and stabbed him in the neck, with the Keyblade of People's Hearts, killing him instantly. Nero then grabbed the dropped keyblade, and held it up.

"A god I shall be!" Nero raved, "I shall reign over mortals!" He then fused the two blades together, and a bright flash of light exploded.

Nero held the ultimate blade. The ultimate goal of the keyblade. The X-Blade. He smirked, then pointed at his enemies.

"You shall be the first blood drawn..." he said. Vaga shook his head.

"No Nero. We won't," he said.

"There's really no point in fighting anymore..." Debitos said. Nero rose an eyebrow.

"Why not?" Nero said. Vaga and Debitos chuckled.

"Because..."

* * *

_"With this, there shall be no exit through the corridors," Vaga said, locking the Corridor of Darkness._

_ "It's a one way trip..." Debitos said, "One way in, no way out..."_

_ "Fellas, the world has been separated. Are you sure about this?" King Mortimer said. Vaga and Debitos nodded._

_ "It's the only way to be sure. If we fail, we can not allow Nero to escape." Debitos said._

_ "I understand. Dippy, Ronald, I guess we'll take our leave..." the king said, sadly. _

_ "But sir! What about their star shards?" Dippy, the shield wielding knight said. Mortimer closed his eyes._

_ "Thanks for reminding me," he said, handing the two keyblade wielders star shards. _

_ "Thanks," they said, "And tell Rodin thank you, for all that he did..." Vaga said. Mortimer nodded, and the three took off._

_ After a brief pause, both Debitos and Vaga shattered the star shards._

_ "No ways out..." they said, before continuing their search for Nero._

* * *

Nero was seething in anger. Even if he could reach his perfection, how will he share it.

"Where are we?" Nero growled.

"The realm of nothingness..." Vaga said. Nero closed his eyes.

"We are literally existing on the fringe, of existence itself," Debitos said. Nero roared, and charged the two, forcing them to split.

"DIE DIE DIE!" Nero chanted, furiously. Debitos rolled out the way of an attack, and retaliated with a slash across his chest. Nero pounded his wound, and drew blood out, and starting using it as a whip.

"What the hell?" Debitos said, ducking a slash, before rolling back.

"It doesn't matter..." Vaga said, "He's weak. He doesn't to fight. He knows it futile..."

"I WILL BECOME IMMORTAL! I WILL!" Nero screeched, slashing away.

"Let's finish this..." Debitos said. Vaga nodded, and jumped beside him.

"Light!"

"Dark!"

"FIRAGA!" the two shouted together, white and black flames blending with each other, to assault the former king. Nero cried out, feeling his body fall apart, and finally, the king was no more. Despite the quick killing, they still did not feel satisfied.

For nothing mattered anymore...

* * *

Futurus smiled, knowing that the current threat was done. But still, that over lying fear lingered inside her mind. A threat would always be there, and there was nothing for her to do...

* * *

Scura stared at the castle, in amazement. The castle was amazing...It was glorious.

"Who are you?" Rodin said. Scura froze up, and turned slowly.

"I'm sorry!" she squeaked, "I was sent here! I'll leave..."

"Did Vaga send you?" Rodin said. Scura nodded. Rodin nodded, before opening the door.

"This is your new home..." he said, before walking in. Scura, despite slightly afraid, followed suit.

* * *

Where the last stand of the old King Nero took place, stood four keyblades. Each blade lacking the signature keychain that provided life. As Vaga and Nero walked through the Library, their keyblades stood still, as reminders to the past...


	8. Return from Ruination

Chapter 8 – Return from Ruination

"King Mortimer, I come with a vistor," Rodin, the higher master of the keyblade said, walking into the mouse's office. King Mortimer's ears perked up.

"Oh, who is is?" he said.

"Scura, enter," Rodin said. The girls nervously sauntered in, and bowed. Mortimer rose his hand.

"No need to be that formal..." the king said, "So, what is this visit all about?"

"I am here to announce that I am taking on a new pupil," Rodin said, "Her name is Scura. Her training will begin soon..."

"Actually master, may I make my own announcement..." Scura said, nervously. Rodin looked at her, surprised.

"Go ahead," he said. Scura took a deep breath, and sighed. It was nearly impossible to explain how nervous she was, to make an announcement of this magnitude.

"Master, I recently found m-myself...p-pregnant..." Scura said, very softly. Rodin and Mortimer stared at her.

"...What." Rodin said, stunned. Scura's blush deepened.

"That's great news!" King Mortimer cheered.

"Thank you..."

"Okay," Rodin said, still shocked, "We'll begin your training after the baby is born. But, no excuses after that." Scura nodded, with a faint smile.

* * *

_With the keyblade, you are the last beacon of hope left in this world._

Ansem the Wise opens a window in his offense, when a letter, summoning him to the King's room fell into his mailbox. He sighed, fearing for the worst...

_You control fate. You control where the path of humanity travels._

Sora laid in his pod, sleeping, wondering when he was going to wake up. As he slept, dreams flooded his consciousness, leaving his lacking heart wondering where to go...

_The way of future masters travel through you, Scura._

"Mommy! What are you doing!" Scura's child, named Salvatore, said, pointing to a wounded young boy, "We have to help him!"

"Oh dear," she said, calmly, before beginning to heal the wound. And she felt it. The future master.

This boy was it.

_Chose wisely, as the worlds can not be threatened by this again._

"Xehanort, I have a proposition for you," the White Kyuubi said, to the young man, working under Ansem. Xehanort smiled.

_You shall be great. You shall lead to way to salvation._

Riku wondered around the endless void, paying the price for his sin, when he felt a powerful force. He turned his head, to see a grave, with a freshly planted flower on it. Riku felt his hope drop, yet still moved along...

_You are the way to dawn._

* * *

A young boy, aged twelve, closed the book. His dull red hair, highlighting his large purple eyes. The boy was curious. So very curious..

He hungered for knowledge. He desired knowledge. And the White Kyuubi wasn't feeding him enough.

So he stole a star shard, and traveled about, looking for worlds and information. And he found this wonderful library.

"I wish I could never leave!" he shouted, the happiest he's ever been in his entire life. He knew he had to go back. He didn't want to, but worrying them was worse. And besides, he'll come back. He knew where it was, anyway.

"Poor, unread books..." he said, "I wonder if they weep..." Then the boy tried to open a Corridor of Light, but found himself blocked out.

"That's odd," he said, unaware of the ancient figure, staring down on him, seeking a mortal to carry out his plans.

"But, with this star shard, I can always come back!" he said, smiling.

The boy, named Sayne, walked, with destiny looming over him.


End file.
